Comparison Strider ST-4 vs PUKY LR 1L Br

The design of the wheels mounted on the bike and the materials used for the tyre/rim.

— Inflatable rubber. Wheels with inflatable rubber tyres — the same as in full-size adult bicycles. Such wheels are quite demanding on maintenance: their condition must be monitored and, if necessary, pumped up. In addition, even a small puncture in a tyre makes it unusable and needs to be repaired. On the other hand, this is the most advanced type of wheel in terms of performance: they perform well even on rough roads, smooth out vibrations, provide good grip and are suitable for fast dynamic driving. And maintenance of inflatable tyres can be a good exercise for a young cyclist before switching to a teen bike. That is why two-wheeled models for older age groups are mainly equipped with inflatable tyres. However, this option can also be found in other varieties, including balance bikes and even tricycles (see "Type").

— Rubber. Wheels with a solid rubber tyre. Unlike the inflatable tyres described above, such tyres do not need to be inflated, and besides, they are not at all afraid of scratches and punctures. On the other hand, solid rubber wheels are less suitable for rough roads and high loads. Therefore, they are found mainly among bicycles for the smallest, and in the age category from 5 to 8 years, such wheels are not used at all.

— Polyurethane. By design, such wheels are similar to s...olid rubber wheels (see above), they differ only in the tyre material — this is polyurethane (an elastic synthetic material). Polyurethane is noticeably stiffer than rubber, so it is mainly used in tricycles that are not designed for fast driving and rough roads.

— Plastic. Wheels made entirely of plastic. The main advantage of this material is its low cost; in addition, it can be given almost any colour. On the other hand, plastic is hard and not very durable, it is not suitable for rough roads and high speeds. Therefore, these wheels are only used in tricycles and some balance bikes (see "Type").

— Plastic with rubber. A slightly improved version of the plastic wheels described above. Hard plastic in this case is complemented by a kind of analogue of a tyre — a narrow rubber strip around the circumference of the rim, where the wheel comes into contact with the ground when driving. This allows you to somewhat mitigate the vibrations that inevitably occur even when driving on smooth asphalt, but these differences between such wheels and purely plastic ones, in fact, are exhausted — plastic with rubber is also used only in tricycles, where the wheels are not designed for significant loads.

In the context of children's bicycles, alloy wheels refer to monolithic wheels made by injection molding. This is where they differ from traditional wheels, where the rim and hub are connected by spokes. Alloy wheels are typically stronger and more resistant to damage, and with fewer moving parts, they are easier to maintain.

— Pedal. A variant mainly used in two-wheeled models (see "Type"). In order to slow down, you need to press the pedals in the opposite direction; braking itself is provided by pads inside the rear hub. Pedal brakes are simple, inexpensive, maintenance free, and reliable enough to make them extremely popular on kids bikes. Their main disadvantage is that when the chain falls off, the bike loses the rear brake; however, the likelihood of this is not so high that this moment is critical.

— Rim mechanical. Brake in the form of a pair of pads, which, by pressing the handle ( manual brake type), are pressed against the wheel rim; the force from the handle is transmitted by mechanical traction in the form of a cable (hence the name). Such brakes, unlike the pedal brakes described above, work even with a broken chain. At the same time, they are more complex, more expensive and require periodic maintenance, which is why they are rare, mainly in fairly advanced models of the older age category.

— Disk. The brake is in the form of a pair of pads, which, by pressing the handle, are pressed against a special disc mounted on the wheel hub. At the same time, the force from the handle to the pads is transmitted through mechanical traction, as in mechanical rims. However, disc brakes are considered more advanced — they are more powerful, more efficient, less sensitive...to dirt and rim curvature. On the other hand, such systems are more complicated and more expensive than rim systems, which is why they are used extremely rarely — mainly in high-end two-wheeled bicycles of the older age category.

— Trigger sleeve. A kind of brake that combines the features of the two types described above: the pads are located inside the drum in the rear hub (as in pedal ones), however, the braking force on them is transmitted not from the pedals through the chain, but from the handle on the steering wheel through the cable (as in mechanical rims). Due to this, such brakes can be installed on balance bikes (see "Type"), where pedals are absent by definition; in fact, trigger sleeve systems and were created specifically for balance bikes.

— Pedal and rim. Bicycles equipped with both pedal and rim rear brakes. See above for details on each of these varieties; and their combination is used in order to increase the efficiency and safety of braking. So, a bicycle with such equipment is not afraid of a broken chain: the pedal brake will fail, but the rim brake will remain operational. And the simultaneous application of two brakes can be useful for an emergency stop. On the other hand, such a combination significantly affects the price of a bicycle, despite the fact that in fact it is not needed so often. Therefore, this option has not received much distribution.

— Handbook. A type of brake used exclusively on tricycles. It looks like a lever, usually installed on the side of the seat; when this lever is lifted, special stoppers are lowered onto the rear wheels. Note that tricycles are not designed for high speeds, and for braking in them it is enough to slow down the movement of the legs on the pedals. Thus, the handbrake is provided for "just in case" rather than for regular use; in some models, it can be used as a parking.

— Parental. A variant used in the youngest tricycles equipped with a parent handle (see below). In accordance with the name, in such models, the brake is controlled by the parent leading the bike — for example, by pressing a special lever on the parent handle.

A special stand on which the child can put his feet while sitting on a bicycle. It is found exclusively in three-wheeled models (see "Type") equipped with a parent handle (see above), and is another "pram" function: when the parent pushes the car, it is inconvenient and sometimes unsafe for the baby to keep his feet on the pedals. do not confuse this feature with a bicycle footrest, which allows you to put the bike on your own without a stop.